Apparatus and mehtod for personalization engine

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for a personalization engine for providing a user preference matching score for a media content item. Any of a plurality of media processing applications can submit a request including identification of the media content item and associated meta-data, and receive in response the user preference matching score. The requesting application can take actions responsive to the received user preference matching score. The user preference matching score is derived from information, collected by the personalization engine from a plurality of sources, including data pertaining to a plurality of pre-define fields that reflect the user's expressed preferences and the user's previous usage of other media content items. In deriving the user preference matching score, different weighting factors can be assigned to data in each of the pre-defined fields based on, for example, the source of the data and weighting factors specified by the requesting application.

1 . A method for a personalization engine for providing a user preference matching score for a media content item to any of a plurality of media processing applications, the method comprising the steps of:
 collecting user preference data from a plurality of data sources;   processing and storing the collected data as information in a data storage medium;   receiving a user preference matching score request, including identification of the media content item and meta-data associated with the media content item, from a media processing application from the plurality of media processing applications;   deriving the user preference matching score from the information, the meta-data and weighting factors;   providing a response to the media processing application including the derived user preference matching score; and   taking an action, in the media processing application, responsive to the user preference matching score.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the media content item is any one of: a television program; a movie; a still image; and a digitally encoded book. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the media content item is a television program and the meta-data comprises any one or more of: a title; a category; a duration; a price; and a start time. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user preference data includes one or more of: user expressed preferences; and user usage history data. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user preference data is organized by: fields, pre-defined time periods and data sources. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of data sources includes one or more of the plurality of media processing applications. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of data sources includes a community data source providing user preference data for a pre-defined plurality of media users. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of data sources includes a media stats data source providing user preference data representative of a general public of media users. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the user preference matching score request includes weighting factors to be applied based on one or more of: the source of data, the fields of data, and the time period of data. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the media processing application provides feedback, to be included in the collected data, indicating on the usage of the media content item by the user. 
   
   
       11 . A personalization engine for providing a user preference matching score for a media content item to any of a plurality of media processing applications, the apparatus comprising:
 a data processor for collecting user preference data from a plurality of data sources; for processing and storing the collected data as information in a data storage medium; and for providing a response to the media processing application including the user preference matching score;   an application interface for receiving a user preference matching score request, including identification of the media content item and meta-data associated with the media content item, from a media processing application from the plurality of media processing applications; and   a score generator for deriving the user preference matching score from the information, the meta-data and weighting factors;   wherein the media processing application can take an action responsive to the user preference matching score.   
   
   
       12 . The personalization engine of  claim 11 , wherein the media content item is any one of: a television program; a movie; a still image; and a digitally encoded book. 
   
   
       13 . The personalization engine of  claim 11 , wherein the media content item is a television program and the meta-data comprises any one or more of: a title; a category; a duration; a price; and a start time. 
   
   
       14 . The personalization engine of  claim 11 , wherein the user preference data includes one or more of: user expressed preferences; and user usage history data. 
   
   
       15 . The personalization engine of  claim 11 , wherein the user preference data is organized by: fields, pre-defined time periods and data sources. 
   
   
       16 . The personalization engine of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of data sources includes one or more of the plurality of media processing applications. 
   
   
       17 . The personalization engine of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of data sources includes a community data source providing user preference data for a pre-defined plurality of media users. 
   
   
       18 . The personalization engine of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of data sources includes a media stats data source providing user preference data representative of a general public of media users. 
   
   
       19 . The personalization engine of  claim 15 , wherein the user preference matching score request includes weighting factors to be applied based on one or more of: the source of data, the fields of data, and the time period of data. 
   
   
       20 . The personalization engine of  claim 11 , wherein the application interface further receives from the media processing application feedback, to be included in the collected data, indicating on the usage of the media content item by the user.